This invention is concerned with glassware forming machines of the individual section type.
The individual section type of glassware forming machine is well known and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,911,119. A machine of this type manufactures glass containers from gobs of molten glass and has a number of sections each of which receives gobs from the same source and deposits completed containers on the same conveyors. The sections receive gobs in turn and operate identically but with phase differences between them.
Each section of an individual section type machine comprises a section frame on which the various mechanisms of the section are supported, the frame being in the form of a box whose top forms a table on which some mechanisms are supported and in holes in which other mechanisms are mounted. Each section comprises a parison moulding apparatus operable to mould gobs of molten glass supplied to the section into parisons, which term is used for an intermediate shape between a gob and a completed container. A parison moulding apparatus conventionally comprises a pivot pin on which two blank mould supporting arms are mounted for pivoting motion towards or away from one another. Each arm supports at least one mould side portion and movement of the arms brings opposed side portions into engagement to define a mould cavity in which a parison can be moulded or into a separated condition to allow removal of parisons. A plunger mechanism is mounted beneath each blank mould to move a plunger into or out of the mould cavity. A baffle mechanism is operable to move a baffle into position on a mould to close the top thereof and in most cases a funnel mechanism is provided to move a gob guiding funnel into position to guide a gob into the mould cavity and then to remove the funnel from the path of the baffle.
Each section also comprises a final moulding apparatus operable to mould parisons formed by the parison moulding apparatus into glassware containers. Conventionally, a final moulding apparatus comprises a pivot pin on which two final mould supporting arms are mounted for pivoting motion towards or away from one another. Each arm supports at least one mould side portion and movement of the arms brings opposed side portions into engagement to define a mould cavity around a parison which can then be moulded in the cavity or into a separated condition to allow removal of a container and introduction of a further parison. The final moulding apparatus also comprises a bottom plate forming the bottom of the mould cavity and a blowhead mechanism operable to place a blowhead on a parison in a mould cavity so that air blown into the parison through the blowhead causes the parison to expand to the shape of the mould cavity.
Each section also comprises an invert mechanism operable to move parisons arcuately about a horizontal axis to transfer them from the parison moulding apparatus to the final moulding apparatus. A conventional invert mechanism comprises a neck ring support mounted to turn back and forth about said horizontal axis to move parison-gripping neck rings mounted thereon between the parison moulding apparatus and the final moulding apparatus, and drive means operable to turn the neck ring support as aforesaid. The neck rings are arranged to form a neck portion of the mould cavity of the parison moulding apparatus, to support the parison when the mould opens, and to support the parison during its arcuate movement to the final moulding apparatus and then release it into the mould of the final moulding apparatus. The drive means of an invert mechanism conventionally comprises a gear centrally mounted on the neck ring support, i.e. on the centre line of the section, and a vertically-disposed piston and cylinder assembly operable to move a rack meshed with the gear to move the neck ring support arcuately as aforesaid.
In a conventional section, the pivot pin for the blank mould supporting arms, the plunger mechanism, the piston and cylinder of the invert mechanism with its rack, and the pivot pin for the final mould supporting arms are all supported on the centre line of the section. The baffle mechanism and any funnel mechanism are supported by the top of the section frame away from the centre line but project close to said centre line. The blowhead mechanism is supported by an overhead structure of the section.
In a conventional individual section machine section, the mean radius of the invert mechanism is 12 inches (30.5 cms) for a 4.25 inch (10.8 cms) machine, i.e. the distance from the axis of the invert mechanism to the central point of two blank or final moulds spaced with their centres 4.25 inches apart is 12 inches. Some 4.5 inches (10.4 cms) of this 12 inches is occupied by the moulds and the remainder is required to clear the baffle mechanism, any funnel mechanism, and the piston and cylinder assembly of the invert mechanism with its rack (on the one side of the axis), and the pivot pin of the final mould supporting arms (on the other side of the axis).